All-Steel Card Clothing

ABSTRACT

A card clothing wire ( 1 ) for use on drums in carding machines has a base ( 2 ) and a blade ( 3 ) formed on the base, the base and blade having a total height of the wire (h 1 ) of 1.5 mm to 5 mm. The blade ( 3 ) has teeth ( 4 ), wherein each tooth ( 4 ) includes a first tooth tip ( 5 ) having a tooth depth (h 6 ) of 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm; a tooth pitch (p) of 1.4 mm to 2.5 mm; a back face with a back angle (γ 1 ) of 50 to 80 angle degrees; and a tooth front face with a working angle (α). Each tooth ( 4 ) further includes a second tooth tip ( 6 ) formed at a tip spacing (a) from the first tooth tip ( 5 ), the second tooth tip ( 6 ) having a back face with a back angle (γ 2 ) of 50 to 80 angle degrees.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to all-steel card clothing for use ondrums in carding machines.

BACKGROUND

All-steel card clothing is used in various areas of processing textilefibers. The present invention relates to a card clothing wire for use onrollers in fiber processing operations, in particular on drums incarding machines. When used on rollers, the card clothing wire is coiledin the form of sawtooth all-steel card clothing and wound close togetheror in grooves on the roller. The usual forms of sawtooth all-steel cardclothing are defined in the International Standard ISO 5234 (2004).According to this standard, all-steel card clothing is characterized by,among other things, the working angle α, their back angle γ, their toothpitch p and tooth depth h₆, the total height h₁ of the wire, the basewidth b₁, and the blade width b₃ at the tip. The working angle is theangle between the front face of a tooth and the line perpendicular tothe base of the wire, wherein the front face represents the front toothface as seen in the direction of movement. If the front angle α is 0°,then the front face is at a right angle to it, i.e., is alignedvertically in relation to the wire base. The back angle γ in the presentdescription is the angle between the back face and the lineperpendicular to the wire base, wherein the back face represents theback tooth face as seen in the direction of movement. If the back angleγ is 0°, then the back face is perpendicular, i.e., vertical to the wirebase.

In the fiber processing operations, such as opening and cleaning fibersor fiber flocks, high demands are made of the all-steel card clothing,which is used with respect to efficient parallelization of the fibers inthe carding operation in particular. The condition for this is guidanceof the fibers as close to the surface of the card clothing as possible.The transfer of fiber from the first roller to another roller is alsoextremely important. In the case of a carding machine, this is true inparticular of the all-steel card clothing applied to the drum. Thesedetermine essentially the fiber transfer from the feed roller to thedrum and the fiber transfer from the drum to the recipient, as well asthe fiber guidance in the carding operation.

For example, WO 2013/072136 A1 is known from the prior art, anddiscloses an all-steel card clothing for the drum of a carding machine.The steel card clothing has teeth with the tips of the teeth pointing inthe working direction and with the backs of the teeth following the tipsof the teeth, wherein the backs of the teeth are provided with at leastone elevation. The fibers are to be held at the surface by the backs ofthe teeth, which are provided with an elevation. One disadvantage of theembodiment disclosed here is that the individual tooth is lengthened dueto the tooth back, which in turn results in an increase in the toothpitch and, therefore, also the tooth density on the drum is reduced andthe possible fiber transfer is also reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to create a card clothing wire, whichwill permit fiber guidance on the surface of the card clothing with animproved fiber transfer to the drum and from the drum to the downstreamroller. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be setforth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

The objects are achieved by the features of the invention described andclaimed herein.

To achieve this object, a card clothing wire is proposed for use ondrums in carding machines, wherein the card clothing wire consists of abase and a blade having a total height h₁ of the wire of 1.5 mm to 5.0mm. The total height h₁ of the wire is preferably 1.8 mm to 3.0 mm,especially preferably 2.0 mm. The blade is furnished with teeth having afirst tooth tip with a tooth depth h₆ of 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, the toothdepth h₆ preferably amounting to 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm, especially preferably0.4 mm. The card clothing wire has a tooth pitch p of 1.4 mm to 2.5 mm,the tooth pitch p preferably amounting to 1.6 mm to 2.0 mm, especiallypreferably 1.81 mm (corresponding to 14 tips per inch). The teeth have aback face with a back angle and a tooth front face with a working angle.The back angle amounts to 50 to 80 angle degrees, preferably 60 to 70angle degrees, especially 65 angle degrees. A second tooth tip is formedon the back face of the tooth at a tip spacing from the first tooth tipsuch that the second tooth tip has a back face with a back angle and theback angle of the second tooth tip amounts to 50 to 80 angle degrees,preferably 50 to 70 angle degrees, especially preferably 65 angledegrees.

Due to this geometry of the teeth with two tooth tips, wherein thesecond tooth tip is formed on the back face of the first tooth tip, thefiber transfer, in particular the takeover of fiber from a previousroller, is facilitated. In addition, the two tooth tips per toothadvantageously have an effect on the fiber transport of the fibersthrough the card clothing and yield a considerable improvement incarding. The second tooth tip not only produces an increased fibertransfer, but is also responsible for the fact that the fibers are heldon the surface of the card clothing.

A tooth back face, which extends from the tip of the tooth to the baseof the tooth with conventional all-steel card clothing, is interruptedin the proposed embodiment by a second tooth tip. A tooth intermediatespace is formed between the first tooth tip and the second tooth tip,where the tooth back of the first tooth tip is connected to the secondtooth tip by a concave surface segment. The tip spacing between thefirst tooth tip and the second tooth tip is advantageously 10% to 50% ofthe tooth pitch p. This achieves the result that the second tooth tip isalso actively involved in the process of fiber transport and contributesto an improved transfer of fiber.

Preferably, the height of the tooth intermediate space between the firsttooth tip and the second tooth tip amounts to 10% to 50% of the toothdepth (h₆). Therefore the fibers are at least partially prevented fromfalling into the card clothing and the carding operation is improved.The minimum height of this intermediate space is necessary to form thesecond tooth tip because the second tooth tip manifests only an effectin improving the fiber transfer when its working angle is positive,i.e., greater than 0. However, a negative working angle is alsoconceivable, which results in at least an improvement in the cardingoperation due to the guidance of the fibers at the surface of the cardclothing.

In addition, it is advantageous if the total height of the wire (h₁) isthe same at the first tooth tip and at the second tooth tip. The toothtips are subject to wear and are worn down over time. The card clothingis reground periodically for this reason, so the lifetime can beincreased. Now if both tooth tips are the same height, this yields thepossibility of detecting the first and second tooth tips in a grindingoperation. The card clothing thereby also retains its advantageouscharacteristic even after multiple grinding operations.

The first tooth tip has a blade width b₃ of 0.04 mm to 0.08 mm. Theblade width b₃ of the second tooth tip is advantageously of the samesize. This circumstance also contributes to the fact that the secondtooth tip manifests approximately the same effect as the first toothtip. This also avoids having one of the tooth tips cover the other one.The working angle of the first tooth tip advantageously amounts to 30 to50 angle degrees. A larger working angle increases the aggressiveness ofthe card clothing. The working angle is determined by the productionheight and the fiber material to be processed. The working angle of thesecond tooth tip in particular is preferably the same size as theworking angle of the first tooth tip.

The card clothing wire is embodied as an all-steel card clothing wireand may be designed with a normal locked or chained base to enable thecard clothing wire to also be applied to a smooth roller or in grooves.

The card clothing wire is suitable in particular for mounted rollers ofcarding machines such as the drums, for example. When using the cardclothing wire on a drum, it is applied in a spiral form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis ofexemplary embodiments and is illustrated in greater detail by thedrawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a view of a specific embodiment of acard clothing wire.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a cross section of the card clothingwire according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a view of another specificembodiment of a card clothing wire.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or moreexamples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is providedby way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of theinvention. For example features illustrated or described as part of oneembodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield stillanother embodiment. It is intended that the present invention includethese and other modifications and variations to the embodimentsdescribed herein.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one view and FIG. 2 shows a crosssection through one specific embodiment of a card clothing wire 1 havinga base 2 and a blade 3. The base 2 and the blade 3 extend over the totalheight h₁. The blade 3 is provided with teeth 4, which are arranged oneafter the other along the card clothing wire 1 at a certain distance,the so-called tooth pitch p. The teeth 4 are in a regular arrangementand are identical in shape to a tooth pitch p along the card clothingwire 1. The blade 3 on the base 2 tapers from the base 2 to a bladewidth b₃ on the first or second tooth tip 5. The blade widths at thefirst and second tooth tips are identical. The base 2 has a base widthb₁ on the side opposite the tooth tips 5, 6. The teeth 4 have a toothdepth h₆. The tooth depth h₆ extends from the first tooth tip 5 to thetooth base 7.

Each tooth 4 has a first tooth tip 5 and a second tooth tip 6 arrangedon its back face. The first tooth tip 5 with its front face forms thefront side of the tooth 4 here, the so-called front face. The front faceis designed to be inclined by the working angle α in relation to theperpendicular line to the wire base. From the first tooth tip 6 a backface, which is inclined by a back angle γ1 in relation to theperpendicular line to the wire base is arranged. The second tooth tip 6is formed on this back face. The second tooth tip 6 is arranged at adistance a “a” from the first tooth tip 5. A tooth intermediate space 8,which is limited on one side by the back face of the first tooth tip andon the other side by a front face of the second tooth tip 6, is providedbetween the first tooth tip 5 and the second tooth tip 6. The toothintermediate space 8 has a height z. The back face leads from the secondtooth tip 6 with an inclination in relation to the perpendicular line tothe wire base (back angle γ2) to the tooth base 7.

In the specific embodiment according to FIG. 1, the back angle γ1 andthe back angle γ2 are identical. In the case when the front angles a ofthe two tooth tips 5 and 6 are identical, both tooth tips 5, 6 exhibitthe same behavior with respect to the fiber transfer.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of acard clothing wire 1. The embodiment according to FIG. 3 differs fromthe embodiment according to FIG. 1 in that the back angle γ1 of the backface after the first tooth tip 5 is not identical to the back angle γ2after the second tooth tip. For certain fiber materials, it may beadvantageous to make the card clothing less aggressive or to facilitatethe guidance of the fibers at the surface of the card clothing.

Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustratedor described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims.

LEGEND

1 Card clothing wire

2 Base

3 Blade

4 Tooth

5 First tooth tip

6 Second tooth tip

7 Base of tooth

8 Tooth intermediate space

α Working angle

γ1 Back angle of the first tooth tip

γ2 Back angle of the second tooth tip

h₁ Total height of the wire

h₆ Tooth depth

b₁ Base width

b₃ Blade width at the tip

p Tooth pitch

a Tip spacing

z Height of tooth intermediate space

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A card clothing wire (1) for use on drums incarding machines, comprising: a base (2) and a blade (3) formed on thebase, the base and blade comprising a total height of the wire (h₁) of1.5 mm to 5 mm; the blade (3) comprising teeth (4), each tooth (4)further comprising a first tooth tip (5), the first tooth tip (5)comprising: a tooth depth (h₆) of 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm; a tooth pitch (p) of1.4 mm to 2.5 mm; a back face with a back angle (γ1) of 50 to 80 angledegrees; and a tooth front face with a working angle (α) each tooth (4)further comprising a second tooth tip (6) formed at a tip spacing (a)from the first tooth tip (5), the second tooth tip (6) comprising a backface with a back angle (γ2) of 50 to 80 angle degrees: and wherein theback angle (γ1) of the first tooth tip (5) and the back angle (γ2) ofthe second tooth tip (6) are the same.
 12. The card clothing wire (1)according to claim 11, wherein the tip spacing (a) between the firsttooth tip (5) and the second tooth tip (6) amounts to 10% to 50% of thetooth pitch (p).
 13. The card clothing wire (1) according to claim 11,wherein a tooth intermediate space (8) is defined between the firsttooth tip (5) and the second tooth tip (6) and has a height (z) of 10%to 50% of the tooth depth (h₆).
 14. The card clothing wire (1) accordingto claim 11, wherein the total height of the wire (h₁) at the firsttooth tip (5) and at the second tooth tip (6) is the same,
 15. The cardclothing wire (1) according to claim 11, wherein the back angle (γ1) ofthe first tooth tip (5) and the back angle (γ2) of the second tooth tip(6) is 65 angle degrees.
 16. The card clothing wire (1) according toclaim 11, wherein the first tooth tip (5) has a blade width (b₃) of 0.04mm to 0.08 mm.
 17. The card clothing wire (1) according to claim 16,wherein the second tooth tip (6) has a blade width (b₃) of the same sizeas the blade width (b₃) of the first tooth tip (5).
 18. The cardclothing wire (1) according to claim 11, wherein the working angle (α)amounts to 30 to 50 angle degrees.
 19. A drum on a carding machine,comprising the card clothing wire (1) according to claim 11.